Manure-spreader sleigh



T. J. FETCHER.

MANURE SPREADER SLEIGH.

APPLICATIQN. ElLED FEB. 19, |919.

Patented Miu'. 23, 1920. l

JYVENTORJ Jin www THEOPHIL J. FETCHER, OF NORWALK, WISCONSIN.

MANURE-SPREADER SLEIGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed. February 19, 1919. Serial No. 278,001.

To all wila/m. t may concern:

lle it known that I, Tilrnoluiin J. Firrcriun, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, in the county of Monroe and State oilt lllisconsin, have invented a new and use- :lful hl'anure-Spreader Sleigh, or which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to manure spreaders and the object is to provide a manure spreader which may readily be operated on ground covered with ice and snow, so that the farmers may utilize the otherwise often idle winter season to spread the manure, and that even more easily than in the seasons of the year when the ground is sott and the manure spreading vehicle is drawn on ground wheels, oi which the rear ones are operatively connected with the spreader mechanism. In carrying out my invention I remove from an ordinary manure spreader the supporting wheels and substitute runi ners, the rear ones ci which are provided with spiral ribbed rollers drawn endwise and operatively connected with the regular spreading roller.

In the accompanying drawing z- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a manure spreader embodying my improvement with the nut 17A in Fig. 2 omitted. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view oil the rear bob in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one of the spiral. winged rollers and the socket seaired on it. The spiral wings are omitted and 'the end plugs and journal are intact. Fig. fl: is a detail side View of one of the front end journal bearings of the spiral rollers. l? 5 a top view of Fig. el. Fig. 6 is a rear end elevation of one of the wooden portions 2S of the rear runner. Fig. 7 is an enlarged rear end view of a spiral roller with the plug 62 in Fig. 3 removed and showing spiral ribs in several modified forms. Fig. 8 is a top view of one oi the knees or brackets oi? the rear runner and a tapered bushing secured therein asa be. ring for the skein of the rear axle of the spreader.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 10 designates the regular box for hauling the manure to be spread by a ro tary spreader wheel or cylinder 11, which is mounted across the rear end olif the box and is driven by a sprocket 1Q, endless chain 13 and a comparatively large sprocket 14. The usual movable bottom arrangement in the box 10 and how said bottom is gradually moved by a 'feed wheel 15 and other parts (not shown), being all of well known construction I need not here 'further describe the same.

In the snowless season when the axles 16, 17 are supported by the usual ground wheels, the sprocket 11i is secured either to one 0f the rear ground wheels or to the axle 17 and the latter rotated by one or both of the ground wheels. In the present illustration each sprocket 14 is secured by bolts 18 to llat arms 19 oif a bevel gear 20, the latter having an extended hub 21 (see Fig. 2) journaled upon the portion 22 (see Fig. S) of a skein thimble 23, which is secured by a screw 2a in the knee 25; said knee being bolted at 26 to the upper member 27 of the rear runner 28. The bushings or sleeves 23 may be all of the same size outside but the inside of some of them may be lei't unfinished so as to bore them to order and thus make them lit axle skeins of diii'erent sizes as may be required. l7^ and 1GA are nuts at the ends of the axles.

The bevel gear Q0 is rotated by a bevel pinion 29 ixed on a shaft 3() on which is also fixed a sprocket 31, driven by a link belt 32, sprocket 33 and spiral roller 34:, whose spiral ribs 35 engage in the snow or in the ice, or both7 and cause the roller to rotate as the runners are drawn forward by the pole 3G, front runners 37, axle 16, bolster 38, reach 39 and bracket 4.0. To the said bracket the rear bob 28, 41, 4:2 is connected by a short reach or link 43, so that the joints 4.1i-, 45, allow the rear runners to tilt as may be required on uneven ground. The reach 39 and box 10 are supported on the rear axle by any of the regular means provided for that part o a manure spreader.

The runner head 28 is secured to the raised bar 27 by bolts 47 and also by bolts 48, and a casting 4x9 having an upward arm 50 secured by a bolt 51. In said casting 49 is formed the bearing or box 52 for the front journal 53 of the roller 34C.

In Fig. 3 it is best shown how the rear journal 541- is arranged to wear against the end of a screw F5 and the wear is taken up by small metal disks 5G inserted from time to time between the journal and the screw, so that the head of the screw may always be screwed tight against the bearing 57 and thus be secured against accidental rotation.

The wooden parts 38 of the rear runners are each rovided with a broad curved metal plate or s oe 58, which gives the runner that much Wearing and bearing surface and also guides the front end of the spiral roller overall obstructions. The front ends of the Wings are cut away on a slant as at 59, to make them glide over obstructions on the ground. The numerals designate some of the oil cups from which the different journals are lubricated.

In Fig. 3 is shown how the rollers 3l may be made of common wrought iron pipes and in each end may have secured by a pin 61, a hollow inetal plug 62, as parts of the journals 53, 54.

The spiral ribs may be of different nunibers on each roller according to its size, and may be 0f different form in cross section, as shown in F ig. 7, where 35"L indicates a wedge shaped rib preferable to use on a cast roller and cast integral with it. 35h .shows the rib niade of common angle steel secured by rivets 63 and having a rounded or dull edge Rib 35C is similar but its flange c is extra thick. yRib 35d is like 35C but has a sharp edge d. Rib 360 is niade of angle steel but the base flange is thickened by a special flat iron bar c. Rib 35f is formed of Z-shaped bar iron .or steel, to which is secured a sharp edged strip f. The rib is formed of a square metal bar with a sharp edged strip g secured to it. Rib 35h is made of T-steel with the leg of the T acting as an ice engaging rib, while the fianges nia-y be extra thick and serve to pressv the snow hard, when there is so little snow that the face of the roller cannot reach to compress it, and thus make it more fit to rotate the roller, by engaging the side of the rib 72, and sonietinies also the face HXX. This also explains that on all the forms of ribs shown the sharp edged or nearly sharp edged ribs are designed to engage in ice or icy ground. The faces bx, 0*, (ZX, cx, fx, gx, zf, serve as packers when the snow is thin, and all radial faces of the ribs are for the snow to act on t0 rotate the roller in the desired direction, and where the snow is deep a part or all of the under side of the roller serves as a runner and also packs the snow, if it is not already hard, so as to give the said radial faces of the ribs that much more chance to rotate the rollers.

When the machine is drawn forward the spiral rollers will thus cause the roller 11 to rotate and spread the manure from the box 10 upon the. ground traversed.

When the snowy season is past the rollers may be removed from the axles and the regular supporting wheels replaced if at that time there should be any use for a. wheel supported spreader.

What I elaini is:-

l. In a manure spreader, the combination with a manure box and a nianure spreading beater across the rear end thereof, a front and a rear axle supporting the box and adapted to receive at their ends either supporting wheels or runners, a sprocket near each end of the rear axle, and operative connection between said sprockets and the. spreading beater; front runners supporting the skeins of the front axle, and a pair el rear runners supporting the skeinsl of the rear axle, longitudinally arranged spiralribbed rollers journaled one in the base ol each rear runner and having operative eonnection with the said sprockets.

2. The structure specified in claini l, said axles being connected b v holsters, a reach extending between the bolsters, and a tongue connecting the rear runners to said reach.

3. The structure specified in claim 2, said reach having at its lower side a bracket with vertically spaced perforations, said tongue having a pair of links with a bolt through theni adapted fo be placed in either of the perforations.

4. The structure specified in claim l, .said operative connection between each spiral roller and the sprocket comprising a bevel gear fixed on the sprocket, a. shaft journaled in the part of the runner extending above the spiral roller, a bevel pinion fixed on said shaft and meshingv with the bevel gear. a sprocket fixed on the shaft and another sprocket fixed on the spiral roller and an endless link-belt connecting the last nientioned two sprockets.

5. The structure specified in claini l, said rollers being cylindrical and their spiral ribs having each an edge sharp enough to engage in ice or icy ground.

6. The structure specified in claim 5. said rollers adapted to slide on the sii ow and conlpress it so as to give the spiral ribs aI better hold when the snow is deep, and said ribs havingauxiliary faces beyond the face of the roller for compressing the snow when there is not enough of it fo receive pressure I from the roller.

7. In a structure of the class described. the rear runners having each the end of its rear journal resisted by a screw and wearing plates between the screi i and the journal. the head of the screw being arranged to jam against the journal box so as to thereby be held against accidental rotation.

In testi Inonv whereof I afiix my signature.

THEOPHIL J. FETGHER.

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